Infrared Luminescence in Er and Er+O Implanted 6H SiC

Photoluminescence in the neighbourhood of 1.54 μm due to the $\text{}^{4}$I$\text{}_{13}\text{}_{/}\text{}_{2}$ -$\text{}^{4}$I$\text{}_{15}\text{}_{/}\text{}_{2}$ intra-4f-shell transitions of Er$\text{}^{3+}$ ions in 6H SiC is studied. Effects of oxygen coimplantation is also investigated. No difference in the photoluminescence spectra of Er only and Er+O implanted SiC was found. It is concluded that the emission around 1.54 μm in SiC:Er originates from erbium-oxygen complexes, which are formed as a result of thermal annealing.